Protecting, Educating and Delivering
Due to the high rates of poverty, HIV infection and population density, Malawians are particularly vulnerable to the virus. A recent analysis of the potential impact of COVID-19 in Malawi projects that 16 million Malawians (85% of the population) could become infected over the next year, and up to 50,000 people could die directly from the virus. With only 25 ICU beds and 17 ventilators in the country, Malawi’s fragile healthcare system is simply not capable of handling an epidemic of this magnitude.
GAIA’s COVID-19 response is:
- Protecting Mobile Health Clinic operations, adding staff to manage patient flow and oversee hygiene and sanitation at clinic sites; supporting the government’s contact notification and tracing efforts; and procuring vital Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- Educating rural communities on hygiene, social distancing and other pandemic prevention messages via COVID-19 Response Teams at our Mobile Health Clinics; training Village Health Workers to deliver COVID-19 health talks at the household level; and delivering Public Service Announcements over vehicle-mounted loudspeakers circulating throughout the districts.
- Delivering essential COVID-19 prevention supplies, including 25,000 locally-tailored masks, and 10,000 water stations and soap for households in the highest risk areas.
